It might seem odd to some, but getting old can really come with its own sense of freedom. You get better at not caring what people think and often have a bit more time on your hands, too. Here are 20 things you can enjoy, guilt-free, when you get older.
Taking Afternoon Naps
Is there anything more enjoyable than the luxury of an afternoon nap? If you’ve hit retirement, treat yourself to some ZZZs in the afternoon! There’s nothing wrong with a little daytime snooze – according to the BBC, our energy levels naturally drop at 3 pm anyway, so a nap could make you more productive!
Feeling Comfortable in Your Clothes
‘Comfort over style’ isn’t exactly a popular concept among most young people, but as you get older, you realize you don’t have to stick to uncomfortable fashion trends. Sure, you can still dress to impress, but you also don’t mind going out in sandals and slacks.
Traveling at Your Own Pace
When you get older, you can finally stop rushing around and do things at your own speed. Instead of trying to fit vacations around work (and almost non-existent paid annual leave), you can enjoy a more leisurely approach to travel. Savor everything – you’ve earned it!
Spending Time on Hobbies
One of the biggest joys of getting older is finally having time to spend on your hobbies! This is the era when you can really get into exploring new interests and revisiting things you might have forgotten about—with time and money on your side!
Eating What You Like
Okay, it’s still important to eat healthily, even when we get older—so don’t throw all of your good eating habits out the window! That said, you get a bit more freedom when you’re old, particularly because you can often spend a little bit more money on buying the foods you really love.
Quality Time with Grandchildren
It’s amazing how infectious the energy and joy from grandchildren can be. Of course, you might find your energy levels are totally used up when you hand the grandkids back to their parents at the end of the day – but that’s all part of the experience!
Saying No
We get so much better at establishing our boundaries as we get older – meaning it gets easier to say ‘no’ to things we don’t want to do. Psychology Today points out that saying no can even be good for your mental health!
Embracing Your Natural Beauty
Our society has some ridiculous beauty standards, and it’s only as you get older that you start appreciating your appearance without worrying about external pressures. We become a lot more self-accepting as we age, and it’s so liberating!
Reflecting on Your Life
You’ve no doubt lived an incredible life full of amazing ups and downs. The joy of getting older is that you finally have the time to really look back over the years. Of course, it’s important to keep making new memories, but you can also reminisce fondly about the past.
Spending Money on Yourself
The kids have moved out, and the mortgage is paid off… Now is the time to really enjoy the money you’ve been making for all these years! With more financial freedom, you can finally treat yourself to some of the things you’ve always wanted.
Enjoying Quiet Time
Is there anything nicer than just being able to sit quietly and not have to worry about going anywhere? It’s rare for any of us to experience that sort of tranquility whilst working a job – but it’s something we can all take pleasure in when we’re older!
Slowing Down
Do you feel like you spent a lot of your adult life feeling stressed and rushing around? You’re not the only one. Huffpost refers to this as ‘hurry sickness’ – that feeling of always being behind schedule. Luckily, when you get older, you get to take life at a slower, more relaxed pace.
Dressing Up for Fun
Society loves to try to tell us what we ‘should’ and ‘should not’ wear – luckily, when you get older, it gets easier to ignore this little voice. Take a leaf from fashion icon Iris Apfel and get bold with your fashion choices as you get older – what’s stopping you!
Laughing Loudly
If you ever felt self-conscious about laughing freely when you were younger, this is something that gets much easier with age. Laughter is good for the soul; in fact, Mayo Clinic writes that laughing can even help relieve stress – so all the more reason to laugh loudly and often!
Pampering Yourself
When you get a bit older, it becomes so much easier to prioritize self-care and give yourself a bit of pampering. It probably helps that you’ve got a bit more financial freedom, but you also don’t feel guilty about spending the time on yourself instead of children or work.
Pursuing Education
Thankfully, that pesky ‘fear of doing something wrong’ gets weaker with age – so it becomes a lot easier to get out there and try learning something new. Have you always wanted to pick up a new language? Or play an instrument? Now’s the time to go for it!
Volunteering
Even though many of us want to get involved with volunteering when we’re younger, we often don’t have the time – so we just end up feeling guilty instead! When you’re older, you finally get the chance to give back a little, and it feels good.
Rediscovering Old Music
Is there anything nicer than listening to an old song that brings back memories? Rediscovering old music is such a fun thing to do as you get a little older, especially as it’s something you might have neglected over the years!
Gardening
Did you know that gardening has been shown to benefit our mental and physical health? Even so, it can get a bad rap with younger people (probably because it requires a lot of time and patience!). Having the time to enjoy gardening when you’re older is one of life’s greatest gifts!
Being Yourself
Simply being yourself is one of the best things you can enjoy without judgment once you get old. We get a lot better at accepting ourselves for who we are and not comparing ourselves with others as we get older, and it feels great!
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